MSW in Chicago-Chances of getting in!

[mikess23]

Hi all, I am currently in the process of applying to a variety of schools with hopes of getting my MSW.  I have somewhat of a unique situation in that I began my college experience at one school where my studies suffered tremendously as a result of a heavy opiate addiction.  My GPA went from a respectable mid 3.0 to literal failing grades during my first two years at college, and I left school after my first to years with an abysmal 2.4 GPA.  I bring up my struggles with substance abuse only because it has played a significant role in my desire to enter the Social Work field.  My final two years at school, which came at an entirely different university after I had spent time getting my health back in order, getting sober, and finding the program of AA/NA, went quite well, as I finished my final two years with straight A's and a 4.0 GPA.  It renders a resume that essentially includes two GPA's--the 2.4 for the first half, and the 4.0 at a separate school for the second half.  Both of these schools are similar in how rigorous and respected their academics are, so its not as if I went to a school of significantly lesser quality for the second half of my undergrad.  In addition to my GPA, I have some volunteer experience and a job experience that included working for the psychology lab on various projects following my graduation that has some value with regards to the social work field.  My personal statement has provided me the opportunity to give some explanation as to what happened during my undergrad years and I have taken it as an opportunity to suggest that my life experience and struggles with addiction have been perhaps my greatest asset in my quest to become a social worker. I have used it as an opportunity to explain that my GPA during the beginning of my college experience versus my GPA during the last two years of my undergrad studies is exemplary of the change that I have made and that I am simply a different person (obviously said in different words).  I guess my question here is one that comes from great worry. I am wondering if anybody knows of or has had an experience in which their GPA suffered greatly and they still found success.  I am applying only to schools in Chicago (UIC, Loyola, University of Chicago, DePaul) because I need to be close to my sober network, but I am particularly interested in going to the first three schools mentioned.  The dream school, U of C, is obviously a major stretch, but I am wondering if anybody has heard of anybody whose GPA was subpar and was still able to get into U of C.  If so, is there something you recommend doing in to explain your weak GPA?  I am also unsure of how much of my struggle with heroin addiction to expose.  While I am sober and have been for a while, I know that there is often a stigma attached to it.  My reasoning for wanting to share it is that my struggles with heroin addiction brought me to this field and I would like to work in the substance abuse field moving forward.  I just don't want to overexpose myself and take myself out of contention by disclosing personal information.  I guess a part of me feels like if there is a field that would be understanding of this, the social work field is it! Anyway, if anybody has any insight into what I might be able to do moving forward it would be greatly appreciated! To anybody that responds, thank you!

[SW_PHD]

Good questions. If it’s any comfort, there are quite a few social workers in recovery and, as it seems like you are aware, they bring an important perspective to working with individuals with addiction concerns. With regard to your grades, yes, a stronger final two years of performance works in your favor. Also, you might consider other options, such as taking the GRE (even if it’s not required) or completing some equivalent master’s-level courses to prove your academic strength. Most importantly, make sure you explain the circumstances in your statement. Of the four schools you mentioned, I would be surprised if they all said no solely on weak GPA.

With regard to your experience in recovery, may I offer a few insights I’ve heard throughout the years. While, as I said earlier, there are many MSWs in recovery, a program is going to want to be sure that you are strong in your recovery and that the stress of graduate school and fieldwork will not be overwhelming. Remember, MSW programs are not about you working through your problems. Be careful that your personal statement is not so heavily weighted toward former heroin use that a reader believes that’s the only thing that defines you. This needs to be an issue in your past. Also, if you have any legal charges as a result of your former use, make sure you check as to what the background requirements are for the school and your state’s licensing board. Don’t want to go through two years of work only to find out you can’t get a credential. Hope that helps a bit. Good luck.

[TheCrow]

I think you will find that the higher ranked schools are more likely to admit you with a lower GPA and leave you to pay large amounts to attend, whereas lower ranked schools will be less likely to admit you with a lower GPA.

[mikess23]

I am sorry that I did not respond earlier, but I wanted to thank both of you for responding to my post. I was unable to regain entry to the site for a while, but I am just seeing your feedback now for the first time! I am so grateful that you were willing to take the time out of your day to help a stranger. Thank you!

[Jewelz423]

Hi, Mike.  Given your strong academic performance during your last two yrs of undergrad, I don't think that your previous 2.4 GPA will have that much of an impact.  Most MSW programs will not exclude you based on GPA alone, and will weigh personal statement and letters of recommendation heavily.  Also, many of the well-known MSW programs are not nearly as selective as people think (http://www.freepatentsonline.com/article/Journal-Social-Work-Education/193406211.html) If you look at the table at the end of that article, you'll see that UIC is actually slightly more selevtice than U of C.

I do think, though, that you should be very careful about how you talk about your addiction and recovery in your personal statement, and think carefully about whether you should include it at all.  I read an article about "Kisses of Death" when applying to clinical psych programs, and one of them was excessive self-disclosure.  for two reasons: 1. admissions committees cannot deny you admission based on mental illness, unless you make that information part of your application.  Then it is fair game, and 2. it can be seen by admissions committees as a sign of poor interpersonal boundaries. Granted, this article was about clinical psych and not social work, but I think that it still applies. I understand why you would want to include that information, since it played such a big role in bringing you to the field of social work, but I have been advised by faculty numerous times not to include too many personal anecdotes about mental illness, addiction, etc.  

I think this is especially true for the University of Chicago.  They are a big research university and care more about your professional goals and intellectual curiosities.  When I visited U of C, I was flat out told by a faculty member that nobody cares what you are passionate about or what struggles you overcame personally, and that your statement of purpose should be academically oriented. Regardless of whether you choose to expose the cause of your previous lower grades or not, it will be obvious that you struggled a bit early on, took a break, and then came back to college with a new level of motivation and are now academically prepared for graduate level work.  Lots of people don't do so well at the beginning of college, for various reasons, and then come back doing much better after a hiatus.  You could always have a reference allude to the personal struggles you've had to over come.

I don't mean to say that you 100% shouldn't include the information, but just saying to think carefully about whether you really need to.  I'm sure there are ways to explain the circumstances without telling them everything.  If you do choose to talk about your addiction, definitely keep it professional and have a faculty member you trust read it over before you submit.  Good luck!!